Victoria's Financial Assistance Scheme
Counselling payments under Victoria's Financial Assistance Scheme
Victoria's Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) — the successor to VOCAT — pays for counselling for victims of crime, but it works differently to NSW's Victims Services scheme. Here's the mechanism, and what's confirmed about the fee schedule.
Not the same mechanism as NSW
A capped fee schedule, not a free-to-client scheme
Where NSW's Victims Services scheme is free to the client for approved counselling, Victoria's FAS works as reimbursement against a capped fee schedule — a ceiling per session by practitioner type, rather than an open-ended free service. The schedule also splits by victim category, not just practitioner type: separate rates typically apply depending on whether the person being counselled is a primary victim, a secondary victim, or a related victim (for example, a family member in a homicide-affected case) — so the applicable rate isn't a single number, it depends on who's being seen and why.
What's confirmed
Practitioner-type rates, as at 30 June 2026
For a 60-minute session, the schedule as at 30 June 2026 set: Counsellor $183, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker $200, Registered Psychologist $220. These figures come from Victims of Crime Vic's own published guidelines at that date — the schedule is reviewed periodically, and the per-category split above (primary/secondary/related victim) means the practitioner-type rate isn't the whole picture. Confirm the current schedule and how your specific case fits it before quoting a client or invoicing.
What Zenvia supports today
Invoicing, once the claim mechanics are confirmed for your case
Zenvia can tag Victims of Crime Vic as a funder and track invoices against a client's file the same way any other third-party billing works. Because the fee actually payable depends on both practitioner type and victim category, and because the exact claim/reimbursement process for a given case is something only Victims of Crime Vic can confirm, talk to us once you know how a specific claim needs to be invoiced, so we can confirm it fits.
Run your practice on Zenvia
Bookings, records, invoicing and session notes — for 10% of billings.
Billing a victims-of-crime scheme in another state? See Victims Services NSW. Billing another funder entirely? See Medicare, NDIS, EAP, workers compensation, DVA and Open Arms, or private health fund rebates. Not sure which registration you need? See PACFA vs ACA vs AHPRA.